The present invention relates to a method of making a net light, whether with or without light sockets located at the nodes (e.g., light sockets located at the intersections of the wires to form a net, and more particularly to such a method which is easier and more economical than that conventionally used to make a net light.
Net lights are well known in the art and typically constitute a matrix of light bulbs or lamps in light sockets disposed so as to form a net light defined by horizontal rows and vertical columns of light bulbs.
As illustrated as "prior art" in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a conventional method of forming such a net light, generally designated by the reference numeral 10A, comprises providing a conventional linear light set 20A (as illustrated in FIG. 1A), and then, through the use of various non-electrical physical connectors' or fasteners 24 (represented as rectangles for ease of interpretation), physically configuring the linear light set 20A to simulate a net light 10A (as illustrated in FIG. 1B). The conventional linear light set 20A illustrated in FIG. 1A and the conventional net light illustrated in FIG. 1B include a plug or current tap 14. Primarily for aesthetic purposes, the various non-electrical physical connectors 24 may be disposed on a horizontally extending electrically inactive wire or cord (not shown) in order to further the impression of a net light system. The positioning of the connectors 24 along the electrically inactive wire or cord may facilitate the manufacturing process by pre-positioning the connectors 24 therealong.
The arrows of FIG. 1B represent how the light set 20A is physically laid out such that a light net 10A results from appropriate placement of the physical connectors 24.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, therein illustrated are a light set and net light similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively, but with each light set 20B being adapted to be manually joined to another light set 20B' via an assembly of its end connector 30 and a plug 14' of the other light set 20B', and with each light set 20B, 20B' comprising a plurality of parallel-wired sub-sets 32 to form an extended net light.
More particularly, FIG. 1A shows a fixed linear light set 20A having fifty lamp sockets L1 through L50 connected by intermediate lengths 22 of wire, while FIG. 2A shows an extended linear light set construction wherein at least two light sets 20B, 20B' are connected electrically in parallel (the second set 20B' being illustrated only partially and in phantom line) and wherein each light set 20B is electrically divided into at least two parallel-wired light sub-sets 32B, 32B' each having fifty light sockets L1-L50, L51-L100 (represented as circles for ease of interpretation) connected in series by intermediate lengths 22 of wire. Where the extended linear light set has a plurality of light sets 20B, 20B' but does not include light sub-sets 32B, the application of the full voltage differential from the plug 14 or first lamp socket L1, L51 to the end connectors 30 or last lamp socket L50, L100 may be accomplished either by a single light set bypass wire B (not shown) or by a series of sub-set bypass wires B' (as illustrated), as the two techniques are functionally equivalent to ensure all light sets 20B, 20B' receiving full line voltage.
A light set bypass wire B of a first light set 20B extends from the plug means 14 (or the first lamp socket L1 thereafter), follows the active wire A and return wire R, and terminates with return wire R in the end connector 30 (or the last lamp socket Ln therebefore) so that the plug 14' of a second light set 20B' inserted into the end connector 30 of the first light set 20B receives a full line voltage equivalent to that received by the first light set 20B.
Each extended linear light set 20B, 20B' may comprise in turn a plurality of light sub-sets 32B wired in parallel so that the first lamp socket of each sub-set 32B has full line voltage applied to it. Assuming a pair of 50-bulb sub-sets 32B, 32B' a sub-set bypass wire B' extends from plug 14 (or the first lamp socket L1 thereafter of the first sub-set) to lamp socket L50, and another extends from lamp socket L51 of the second sub-set 32B' to the end connector 30 (or the last lamp socket L100 of the second sub-set 32B'). Clearly, additional sub-sets may be employed, and the number of bulbs or lamp sockets in each sub-set may vary from 50.
It will be appreciated that, while the initial linear light set 20A of FIG. 1A has been expanded to an extended linear light set 20B of FIG. 2A both by the use of at least one additional plug-in light set 20B' and by the use of a plurality of sub-sets 32B within each light set, the linear light set 20A may be expanded by the use of only one of these techniques, if preferred. The light sets 20B, 20B' illustrated in FIG. 2A may be expanded to each include any plurality of sub-sets 32B (and sub-set bypass wires B'), and the net light 10B illustrated in FIG. 2B may include any plurality of light sets 20B, 20B' (each but the last including a light set bypass wire B and an end connector 30). In those instances where a light set 20B includes a plurality of sub-sets 32B, but is not to be connected with a following light set 20B', the sub-set bypass wire B' of the last sub-set thereof (adjacent the end connector 30) may be omitted and, indeed, the end connector 30 itself may be omitted.
It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the electrical arts that the amount of wire utilized by the prior art net light constructions 10A and 10B of FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively, are enormous since the active wire A, the return wire R, and the bypass wire B, B' extend substantially the entire stretched-out length of the conventional light sets 20A, 20B. Wire costs are perhaps the most significant element in the cost of a net light.
In the United States, the UL ("Underwriters Laboratory") approves of a net light only where the active and return wires A, R are twisted together on each light string (the only permissible alternative being the use of a very thick wire, which would render the product economically unfeasible). Thus, while net lights are quite popular, especially as Christmas decorations (e.g., for use on a Christmas tree, over bushes, or the like), and while the sheer volume of sales thereof has enabled the purchase price of such sets to be substantially reduced, the manufacture of such a net light is necessarily complex and labor-intensive (and hence expensive) when made by conventional process techniques to produce a net light meeting various federal, state and UL (Underwriters Laboratory) requirements.
Thus, in addition to the aforenoted economic difficulties, the conventional net light presents manufacturing difficulties. In order to maintain the active, return and bypass wires A, R, B twisted together in the net light, rather long lengths of the linear light set must be used, so that the creation of each linear light set may involve working with wire lengths as long as 25, 50 or 75 feet, depending upon the number of sub-sets in a light set. The need to maintain a lengthy linear light set in a relatively sinuous net-like disposition (prior to application of the connectors) can create problems in the process of manufacture and necessitate the use of expensive hand labor steps rather than relatively inexpensive automated equipment steps.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a net light which is easier and more economical than that conventionally used to make net lights.
Another object is to provide such a method which produces a net light with or without light sockets and lamps located at the nodes, as desired.
A further object is to provide such a method which reduces the extended length of the light set employed in forming the net light.